Superheroes of the Trust Game Thread II

[kirinke]

"You really think I am going to screw up," Apollo jokes.

"I'm not even gonna go there," Hope mutters, wondering if she could come up with a spell to beseach the goddess of luck.

Although in her case, it seems lately that Lady Fortuna isn't exactly looking her way.... Or if she is, she has a weird sense of humor.

 

[Elric]

"I say we wait for the data. We've had plenty of action recently- as long as things stay calm, might at well let it continue."

 

[kirinke]

Viridian throws her hands up.

"Then do whatever! I'm just saying you're risking a lot here, when the data's probably a lot more valuable. But what the hell do I know?"

Hope put her hand on Vi's shoulder. "Easy. Let the data be transfered first. Then ask," Hope said quietly. "What is this, heroics by committee?" she muttered to herself.

 

[Vanifae]

Viridian throws her hands up.

"Then do whatever! I'm just saying you're risking a lot here, when the data's probably a lot more valuable. But what the hell do I know?"

"Hey Viridian, relax babe, I got this, and I think your idea is probably the better one," Apollo adds.

 

[Vanifae]

Apollo laughs, "Luck is one of my skills."

 

[kirinke]

Apollo laughs, "Luck is one of my skills."

Just not one of mine, Hope thought peavishly.

 

[Victim]

Megan blushes and smiles shyly. This is a little unreal. Focus, Megan. You're a superhero on a dangerous mission. That's right, I'm a superhero, so it's okay for good things to happen to me. "Why not?"

Hope bit her lip, thinking, grateful that the mask hid most of her face. "Ask him what he knows about Barrington outright. I'm assuming that whoever Barrington works for is hostile to these Geldarans and vice versa."

"So we can talk about the relationships between alien gods when you want to, but it's a bad time when I have an idea?" Shooting Star complains. "Egypt and Greece aren't that far apart. I thought their civilizations overlaped in time periods. Ruling by posing as gods with superpowers and advanced technology is the same strategy. We know more similarities between these Geldrans and whatever alien stuff Barrington found, so it's stupid to assume that they're different, opposed groups with the information we have, especially since Voderak was helping Barrington in the first place."

"Is the file streaming? Should I head inside to read the stuff he's sending?" she asks. I'd rather not go back in there if I can fly on my own though. But if we need to look at everything right away...

 

[Shayuri]

Viridian stares at Megan, and her mouth drops open.

"That's it," she says, and scrambles for her PDA.

"The Eye of Hell...it's a Persian artifact. Persia, Egypt, Greece...all had trade, and wars...they were contemporaries... It's not magical, but it's obviously not normal. It could be an alien device of some kind!"

She calls up as much as she can on the Eye, in anticipation of using it to try to search the data from Voderac.

 

[DM_Matt]

Megan blushes and smiles shyly. This is a little unreal. Focus, Megan. You're a superhero on a dangerous mission. That's right, I'm a superhero, so it's okay for good things to happen to me. "Why not?"



"So we can talk about the relationships between alien gods when you want to, but it's a bad time when I have an idea?" Shooting Star complains. "Egypt and Greece aren't that far apart. I thought their civilizations overlaped in time periods. Ruling by posing as gods with superpowers and advanced technology is the same strategy. We know more similarities between these Geldrans and whatever alien stuff Barrington found, so it's stupid to assume that they're different, opposed groups with the information we have, especially since Voderak was helping Barrington in the first place."

"Is the file streaming? Should I head inside to read the stuff he's sending?" she asks. I'd rather not go back in there if I can fly on my own though. But if we need to look at everything right away...

"Affir--Yes, I mean. Come on in."


Unfortunately, the older data comes first, starting not with the 21 years but a summary of Ares' early years until the that time. The information is part of his plea to return from exile.

You first discover that the Geldarans are not allied with the race from which Barrington found technology in Egypt. In fact, the creators of that technology, the Dao-Lug, were and remain rivals of the Geldarans, and Ares stole the idea of getting people to worship him from them, not from the Geldarans, who conquer in the conventional manner.

It seems that Ares is the last survivor of the planet Pax, inhabited by a spiritual and pacifist species also called the Pax with powers allowing them to commune with nature and derive powers from it. They could regenerate through channeling natural energy, combine their powers to resurrect the dead, and through sufficient meditation transcend their physical bodies and move on to some kind of paradise even greater than their very well-kept world. They were also adept at cloaking and phasing technology in order to avoid fighting.

A Pax named Aron, however, believed that they were highly vulnerable to attack from more expansionistic races, especially on account of their extensive natural resources, and told everyone who would listen that they must develop weaponry to defend themselves. When they did not listen, Aron betrayed them to the Geldarans, hoping to teach those who scorned him a lesson, but hoping also that he could convince the Geldarans to show mercy and turn Pax into a protectorate. He taught the Geldarans how to defeat the Pax's passive defenses.

When the Geldarans attacked, the Pax refused to surrender and join the Geldaran empire, forcing the Geldarans to kill them all. Aron, now Ares, worked his way up through the Geldaran ranks and eventually ruled a moon called Taranas, until enemies drove the Geldarans from it and he was exiled as punishment.

Blaming the Pax for their own destruction, and finding himself quite good at warfare, Ares vowed to help spread the tools of defense to those who, unlike the Pax, desired to stand up for themselves and put their faith in might rather than spirit or philosophy. For the last 2500 years, Ares has played the role of deity, warlord, arms dealer, and strifesower, altering power balances to encourage wars and revolutions. Not only did this serve his own values, but this strife could, as Ares emphasized to the Geldarans, facilitate Geldaran conquest of earth.

 

[DM_Matt]

Viridian stares at Megan, and her mouth drops open.

"That's it," she says, and scrambles for her PDA.

"The Eye of Hell...it's a Persian artifact. Persia, Egypt, Greece...all had trade, and wars...they were contemporaries... It's not magical, but it's obviously not normal. It could be an alien device of some kind!"

She calls up as much as she can on the Eye, in anticipation of using it to try to search the data from Voderac.

Looking specifically for that information, you find that Ares was aware of a Perisan Dao-Lug cache captured by a Zoroastrian cult that worshiped not Ahira-Mazda, but rather Angramainyu. For some reason, they tried to use magic to operate the devices for some unknown purpose, including some kind of magical transmutations performed on the control crystals that Ares speaks of in a highly condescending manner. Most of the devices were broken beyond repair in this matter, including a small ship with what had originally been a functioning hyperdrive. apparently, keeping this technology out of human hands is important to the Geldarans.

You also find that Ares was aware of the Dao-Lug cache in Egypt that Barrington found. In fact, he sold the location to Barrington, believing that he could cause great strife with such devices. He points out specifically however, that only personal weapons and shields, and the healing/immortality/anti-aging device that Barrington himself mentioned, were included. Ares himself sabotaged ship-related technology before selling Barrington the location.